Caption: Skin cancer after surgery. Close-up of the nose of an 88-year-old male patient 10 days after removal (excision) of a basal-cell carcinoma (skin cancer). Basal-cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer among fair-skinned people. It usually appears on the face and is thought to be caused by the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. It slowly destroys surrounding tissue, but rarely spreads to other parts of the body. Treatments for basal cell carcinoma include radiotherapy, cryotherapy, cauterization and surgical excision.